Different Worlds
by redsbury
Summary: What's this! An American at Hogwarts? Yes, and it sounds exciting! Please R&R! I guess you could call this a preview chapter, so it's very short...
1. Mysterious

Author's Note: This is just a sort of "test-chapter", and so it is very short. I have some good (I think) ideas of what could happen later on, but I want to see how people like this.

Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I own anything from Harry Potter.__

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_September 1, __King's Cross Station, London, 10:50 AM_  
  
A tall girl stepped out of a cab, brushing her raven hair back from her face. She surveyed her surroundings and began to search through the pockets of her jeans for money to pay the driver. He was behind her, casting nervous glances at a large barn owl in a cage that he had just loaded onto a cart. The owl hooted impatiently. Passersby looked over in mild interest.  
  
"Not yet, Tyto," the girl murmured softly. She didn't want to attract any more attention than she already had. Wordlessly, she handed the money over to the driver.  
  
The short man, still wary of the owl, quickly got back into the cab, but not before shaking his head and muttering something about Americans.  
  
The girl began to push her heavy cart over to the trains. She stopped in front of a brick wall between platforms nine and ten. After making sure that she was not being watched, she looked at her ticket and then at the wall.  
  
"This must be it," she whispered to no one in particular. Her owl ruffled his feathers. With another glance around her, she pushed her way through the wall and emerged in a different world.  
  
The Hogwarts Express was an impressive sight, especially to a girl who came from a place where trains were not the everyday means of transportation. The scarlet form towered above the crowd of people milling about on the platform. She could tell that these people were witches and wizards. They had that smell of magic that was comforting and familiar. She made her way towards the end of the train and left her cart in a line of others waiting to be loaded.  
  
"Well, here we go, Tyto," she said to her barn owl. "Be good."  
  
"Am I not always?" the owl replied, in a flowing, feathery-sounding voice.  
  
"No, you're not, and don't say anything when there are this many people around," the girl whispered angrily. She turned and went to find a seat on the train.

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A/N: Well? Even if you didn't like it, please tell me! I'll be waiting... 


	2. Journey

A/N: Well, here is yet another short chapter. I must warn you, this chapter has _dialogue_. I HATE writing dialogue, so bear with me. I tried not to go into too much detail...Oh, and for those of you who mentioned Tyto: Tyto comes from the scientific word for barn owls, "tyto alba", and you'll find out why he talks later!

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Once on the train, the girl found herself in the company of two other people, apparently brother and sister. They introduced themselves as Hyacinth and Millard Filbus. She told them her name was Aria May.  
  
"You're an _American_?" Millard asked in disbelief. He was a small, curious boy with a mass of curly brown hair.  
  
Hyacinth glared at her brother. She shook her blond head at him. He made a face. "Don't be so rude, Millard. You—"  
  
"That's all right," Aria interrupted. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in the middle of an all-out sibling battle. "Yeah, I'm American."  
  
"Then why are you going to Hogwarts?"  
  
"I'm an exchange student. I think I heard that this is the first year Hogwarts has ever participated."  
  
"Really? And you're here all by yourself?" Hyacinth asked. "That must be really hard."  
  
"Well," said Aria, "I do have my owl. His name is Tyto."  
  
That started an immediate round of questions fired at Aria, mainly by Hyacinth. Aria found the other girl to be quite talkative, but she liked her in spite of this. They were both sixth years. Hyacinth went on and on about how wonderful it would be if Aria was assigned to her house, Ravenclaw, until Millard told her she was the one being rude now. Aria was telling them about her school — Cotton Mather's Academy of Spells and Magics — when another person walked in.  
  
As he glanced around the compartment, his eyes met Aria's and she froze. His eyes, she thought, they're yellow. Like...like...  
  
"Sorry," the newcomer mumbled. "I must have the wrong..." Startled, he looked at Aria. "Do I know you?"  
  
"No," she said quickly, realizing she had been staring. "No."  
  
"Oh, well then," he said. "Sorry again." He turned and left.  
  
"He was cute," giggled Hyacinth. Millard grimaced.

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After putting on their school robes, the scarlet Hogwarts Express came to a stop at Hogsmeade Station. There was an instant rush of students to get off the train. The night air was refreshing after the heat of close quarters.  
  
"Firs' years over here," yelled a giant of a man.  
  
Millard said goodbye and went to join the group that was gathering around the hairy man. He herded them over to a group of boats waiting by the shore of a shimmering lake.  
  
"That was Hagrid," Hyacinth explained. "He's part giant."  
  
"So I noticed," Aria whispered. She had never seen anyone so _big_.  
  
"And _that_," said Hyacinth, pointing to a castle across the shimmering water, "is Hogwarts."  
  
So far from home, Aria thought.

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A/N: Don't forget to let me know what you think, even if you feel it should be killed, burned, and buried. Hey, anything helps. 


	3. I can't think of a title

A/N: Finally, a new chapter! Hooray! Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed, you have no idea how much that helps. I really didn't expect so many, but I'm not complaining. ShadowKitten2, a.k.a. You-Know-Who, a.k.a. Nicole (Ha! I said your name, and you can't do anything about it!), I do realize that I was going fast, but I didn't want to bore anybody. This chapter is a bit longer (not much, though) and it's starting to get interesting. Thanks again, and enjoy!

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Aria was slowly making her way up the winding stone stairs to the Ravenclaw commonroom, struggling under a load of books and scrolls of parchment. Figures in the portraits that lined the walls were watching her, some attempting to start up a conversation. She ignored them and panted onward towards a long afternoon of studying. She didn't feel much like talking to anyone, and anyway, she didn't think she had the breath for it.  
  
_Almost there_, Aria thought as she rounded a curve in the stairs. _Not too much further_. Something flashed in front of her, causing her to jump. One of the scrolls she was carrying fell from her arms and began to roll down the stairs.  
  
"Damn you, Peeves!" she yelled at the poltergeist. "Don't do that!" He laughed shrilly and floated back through the wall. Grumbling, Aria put her books down and went off in search of the runaway parchment. "Idiot ghost," she muttered.  
  
On the way down, Aria passed several fellow Ravenclaws. She hoped they wouldn't knock over her stack of books. Oh well. Hyacinth came bounding up towards her, blond hair flying. She looked absolutely giddy.  
  
"Aria!" the girl cried. "Guess what? No, don't, you'll never get it. Millard's just told me that that boy on the train — you know, the cute one with the weird eyes — is in Gryffindor with him, and he's a sixth year too!" Aria had almost completely forgotten about the yellow-eyed stranger. Unlike Hyacinth and the rest of the Filbus family, Millard had been placed in Gryffindor, but Aria didn't see how this other boy being a Gryffindor had any significance. "That's not the best part though," continued a very excited Hyacinth, "he asked Millard about the girl that was on the train with him. Can you believe it? Me! He asked about me!" Ah, now Aria saw.  
  
"Is that all you ever think about," she asked Hyacinth accusingly. "Boys? There's more to life than that, you know."  
  
"Yeah, but nothing else is as much _fun_." She turned to go up the stairs. "Oh, were you going somewhere?"  
  
"I lost a scroll of parchment, thanks to a certain poltergeist we all know," Aria said. "It rolled down the stairs."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I saw that at the bottom. See you later!" she called over her shoulder.  
  
_Thanks_, Aria thought irritably. When she finally found the missing scroll, it had been crushed under several pairs of feet. _Thank you very much_...

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After dinner that evening in the Great Hall, Aria decided to visit the owlry. She had a letter to send to parents saying that everything was going fine, and she wanted to make sure that Tyto wasn't getting into any trouble. She found the door and opened it, to be greeted by the sound of soft hooting and a blast of warm, fetid air. Owl droppings and feathers lay scattered across the wooden floor.  
  
"Gross," Aria said to herself. "Doesn't anybody ever clean in here?" 

"Yes, occasionally," replied a light, pleasant voice. "But being the party animals we are, it's hard to look after us. We're really a wild bunch, you know. Out at all hours of the night. Shameful, really."  
  
"Hello, Tyto," Aria said. "I have a letter for you."  
  
"For me, really?" the barn owl said, flying over to a perch near his master. "No, I suppose you want me to deliver it, as I am only a slave for you to use at your every whim. And what if I refuse?"  
  
"You won't," she said. "You see, I know you much too well, old friend." She stepped closer to Tyto so that she could see him better in the dark room. "Yuck. You do realize that you have half of a frog hanging out of your mouth? That's disgusting."  
  
"Does it make me look beautiful?" Tyto asked, turning his head to the side. "I was going for the natural look. Did I do so? If you want, you can have it; I know how much you love fresh food."  
  
Aria rolled her eyes. "Same old Tyto. No couth at all." She tied the letter to his scaly leg, while he finished his meal. "Alright. You know where this goes."  
  
"Yes, my lady," he said dryly. "Straight across the Atlantic and home to dear old Dad and that Muggle of a woman he's married to."  
  
"Tyto..." Aria warned. The owl spread his giant wings and took off through the window into the night.She sighed and made her way carefully across the messy floor and back into the hallway. She nearly collided with someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried. She looked into the person's face, then gasped. It was the yellow-eyed Gryffindor boy. His eyes were so familiar…so…so…Before she could remember, Aria fainted.

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A/N: How exciting! Don't forget to let me know what you thought! Until next time... 


	4. Dark

Warning — Random Thought: A few weeks ago, I finished reading _Sunshine_ by Robin McKinley. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. It's told from the point of view of coffeehouse worker Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, who is forced into an unlikely alliance with Constantine ("Con"), a vampire. It's an awesome story, and I only wish we were allowed to write about McKinley's books here!!!!

A/N: Lady of the Squrriles! Your long review totally made my day, and I cannot possibly thank you enough! Yes, I do know (and adore) Inuyasha. Aria was not supposed to be a resemblance of Kagome; I've just always thought raven hair was awesome. Unfortunately for me, my hair is brown, curly, and out-of-control. However, I did get the idea for mystery-boy's yellow eyes from Inuyasha (I have his picture set as the background on my computer), but my character will not be related to him in any way. And to those of you who have mentioned that I am going too fast, I apologize. I am thinking of rewriting this story, so be on the lookout for it in the future. Harry Potter and gang...well, I am considering having them make a surprise- appearance later on, but they will not be main characters. In the meantime, I've started another HP fic entitled "Reborn". You might want to read that sometime...Alright, enough of that. Here is chapter four, a very short hold- me-over-till-redsbury-puts-up-a-much-better-chapter-five sort of a chapter four, but it's chapter four nonetheless.

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"Miss May. Miss May — Aria — can you hear me?"  
  
Someone was calling her. She had to answer; they were asking if she could hear them. Aria wanted to scream, but she didn't have the energy. She was too weak, something was wrong. She tried to open her eyes; she thought she did, but everything was so black.  
  
"She's coming around," the voice said. Aria recognized it to be that of Professor McGonagall. "Miss May, look at me. Can you tell me what happened?"  
  
"I-I can't see," whispered Aria hoarsely. "I can't see!"  
  
"Professor Snape," McGonagall said softly. "We had better take her to the hospital wing." Aria knew other people were there, she could hear the rustling of their robes when they moved. But who were they? What were they doing?  
  
A new voice — light, slippery sounding — the voice of a ghost. Although Aria couldn't tell which school ghost it was, she was certain it wasn't Peeves, and for that she was blessedly thankful. "Should I fetch the headmaster?" the voice was asking.  
  
"No." It was McGonagall again. "No, that won't be necessary. Not now. We'll have to wait and see what Madam Pomfrey says."  
  
Aria shuddered as a pair of arms lifted her from the cold stone floor. For a moment she struggled against the firm grasp, but she felt so weak...  
  
"Keep still," yet another voice said. It was Professor Snape. He was the one carrying her. Briefly, Aria felt a surge of embarrassment at her own helplessness. She didn't like having to depend on these people — only voices to her now — and having to blindly place her trust in them.  
  
They moved swiftly toward the hospital wing, Aria listening to the sound of the multiple footsteps and feeling Snape's movements as he hurried forward. It was an odd sensation, not being able to see anything. The earlier wave of panic that she had felt was nearly gone, and Aria was surprised at her sudden calmness. For the first time since her arrival in this new country, she found herself longing for her family, especially for the gentle touch and soothing voice of her mother. She missed her forever smiling, good- natured father too. Silently, she began to weep.  
  
Once in the hospital, Madam Pomfrey bustled about, giving orders to anyone that was near. Aria was placed on a bed, comforted by its softness. Someone — Madam Pomfrey, she supposed — took her tear-streaked face into their hands while McGonagall explained that she had been found on the floor near the owlry and that she couldn't see.  
  
"Hmm," said Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Is it serious, Poppy?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"No," she replied, much to everyone's relief. "The blindness should be only temporary, but it's very strange. I have no idea what could have caused this." McGonagall started to say something. "No, Minerva, don't ask questions yet. She needs to rest now."  
  
Aria heard the people around her rise and then leave. The unchanging darkness was so frustrating; did they really expect her to wait there for who knows how long until she could see again, if she could see again? Reluctantly, feeling exhaustion sweep over her, she settled back into the pillow and entered into an uneasy sleep.

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A/N: End of chapter four. As I don't know when I will have the next chapter completed, you may email me with any questions that you would like me to answer. My email address is edunncarolina.rr.com.


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